In an market where housing prices seem to continue to go up while wages…..well lets be honest, don’t increase that much, the idea of affordable housing is certainly appealing. We all know someone, or are that someone who works hard, has a decent job and good credit, but simply can’t buy a home because they are too expensive.

Kulshan Land Trust, a community organization which provides perpetual affordable housing, organized a trip last month to see how other communities in the USA were keeping at least some of their housing affordable.

Whatcom County Councilman Seth Fleetwood went on that trip and is now making a new proposal based on what he has seen: anyone building 4 or more homes would have to keep at least 25% of them “affordable”. I’m guessing affordable means an amount which a person making the average household income in Whatcom County could afford. Fleetwood claims that the high housing prices are simply market driven, but I’ve heard that building supplies such as wood have also increased in price over the past several years which also contributes to price increase of new homes.

Fleetwood proposes allowing higher densities, waiving impact fees and expediting permits to help offset the costs of keeping a quarter of all new homes affordable. While all those will certainly help, there is a good chance that it will not completely offset the costs which means that builders will have to pass it on to the other buyers. Is it fair to make people who can afford new homes pay more so that people who can’t afford it can buy a home? I don’t know the answer there but I’m open to comments…

The reaction from developers has been mixed. Like most people, they want everyone to be able to afford a home and are open to trying new things. Builder Gary Reid however has his reservations. He claims that the increased density won’t help much in rural settings. Also, he says “It’s kind of like social engineering. If you’re building a $700,000 house, socially, would the people in a $150,000 house be compatible?” It’s also a very good question to ask.

Another part of this plan that I wonder about: if the housing is to be permanently affordable, the people who buy those homes will not be able to build much equity because although their homes market value may increase at the same rate as the rest of the county, they will not be able to sell their homes for market value as they will have to keep them permanently affordable. They will still build equity through paying off their mortgage, but will not get the “extra” equity that comes from increased market value. So even if they sell their home, will they be able to afford a “normal” house, or will they be back in another permanently “affordable” house.

Will we start to have social divisions in our community? This person lives in a “normal” house, that person lives in a “affordable” house…..will it be a new class division?

I agree with Fleetwood that we need to do something to help average wage earners in our county who cannot afford a home. However, I’m not sure that forcing a quarter of new homes to be “affordable” is the answer. Unfortunately, I don’t have any other potential solutions on hand. Anyone else have any ideas?

The Environmental Protection Agency may adopt a new rule requiring contractors to have training and certification in working with homes with lead based paint and require them to adhere to certain work safe practices. Although lead based paints have been banned since the late 70s, the problem now is coming from renovations. When walls are drilled, sanded or removed, the resulting dust contains lead and is poisonous, particularly for children under the age of 6.

If passed, the new rules could mean up to $500 million more in renovation costs in the US in a year. Consumers will bear the brunt of that cost as contractors will pass on the additional costs of their training in their prices. Opponents of the new law fear that the higher costs will cause more people to do the renovations themselves which would be even more dangerous. If the law is passed, an estimated $5 billion will be saved in medical and educational costs for children affected. Lead poisoning causes learning disabilities particularly with reading and math.

Whether the law is passed or not, it is wise to be aware of lead based paint if you live in an older home. Ask potential contractors what training they have in dealing with lead based paint and how they will keep the dust from spreading throughout your home. When you do the renovations, remove the furniture from the affected rooms and seal them off with heavy plastic. Also, create a direct path, sealed with plastic, leading from the renovated room to the outside so that dust is not trekked through the rest of the house. When renovations are complete, be sure to clean the room very well including wiping down walls, mopping the floors or using a HEPA vacuum.

Questions are being raised as to whether the proposed budget for the City of Sudden Valley is viable. The budget was written by a committee formed by the Sudden Valley Community Association when they looked into the possibility of applying for city status. In the end it was several private citizens that made the application.

The budget estimates $2.8 million in revenue with over half of that coming from property taxes.  However, the budget does not account for services which are currently paid for by the county, but would become the responsibility of the city such as a fire department and the library. The resulting difference is several hundred thousand dollars.

Sudden Valley City supporters are currently trying to collect 270 signatures from registered voters in Sudden Valley.

According to an article in the Bellingham Herald on Sunday, from the time a house hits the market to the time it closes, it can involve as many as 28 people!!!! That includes real estate agents, bankers and mortgage specialists, title insurance agents, landscapers, repairmen, inspectors, attoneys, painters and all of their assistants!

Here are the weekly sales statistics showing pending ratios for Whatcom County.

The pending ratios are as follows for the cities:

Bellingham: 26%
Blaine/Birch Bay: 19%
Ferndale: 18%
Lynden: 20%
Sudden Valley: 22%

View graphs showing the sales trends over the past 18 months for each city here. Real Estate Sales Statistics for Whatcom County Graphs, June 2006 

How do we track these real estate sales statistics and what do all the numbers mean? Click here to find out!

A fourth night of hearings has now been scheduled in regards to the design of a proposed Fairhaven building. The proposed project is a series of building ranging from 3 to 10 stories between Eighth and Ninth and Harris and McKenzie avenues. So far the design appeal has made the developers take one foot off each floor in order to reduce the total height.

Several residents appealed the design of the project after the city approved it. Although the design is changing a bit, it looks like the project will still be built.

The designer and developers feel that their project will fit in well with the character of Fairhaven and are being very conscious to keep the style consistent.

Berry picking season has begun! Strawberries are ready and raspberries should be ripe for picking pretty soon too! Last weekend a friend and I headed to McPhails farm just outside Lynden to pick strawberries. An hour and half and 40 pounds later I drove home for the huge task of washing, de-stemming and dealing with the berries.

I never realized how much of a Whatcom County “thing” it is to pick berries until I was talking to one of my friends last summer. He had recently moved up from California and I was excitedly talking about berry picking I was going to do that weekend. When I asked if he was going to pick any berries that summer, he gave me an odd look and informed me that where he came from, they had people that did that for you.

So to anybody out of Whatcom County who may be reading this, I realize that the prospect of standing in a hot dusty field picking berries does not sound all that entertaining, but I would urge you to try it if you come to the area. The berries are cheaper, you get to eat a few along the way as you pick, and you will be able to say that you picked berries in the berry capital of the US. Whatcom County has strawberries, raspberries, marion berries and blueberries - all of which are delicious!

If you are wondering where to go, my personal recommendation is Bjornstad Farms. Head north out of Bellingham on the Guide Meridian, then take a left (west) on King Tut Rd and follow the signs. They have great berries and prices!

I’m curious as to what kinds of U-Picks other areas do…

Here are the real estate sales statistics for Bellingham, Blaine/Birch Bay, Ferndale, Lynden and Sudden Valley for Jun 17, 2006.

The pending ratios in each of these places for the week is:

Bellingham: 26%
Blaine/Birch Bay: 21%
Ferndale: 15%
Lynden: 26%
Sudden Valley: 21%

Here are the graphs showing the sales trends for the past 18 months in each city: Whatcom County Real Estate Sales Statistics 

What are real estate sales statistics and what do they mean? Click here to find out.

Don’t forget - if you would like a particular price range graphed out for you, just give us a call!

Congratulations to our two June winners:

Marti Caputi

Diane Hagen

They have each won a Seattle package which includes two Seattle Mariners tickets and two round trip Amtrak tickets. Have fun! 

Here is a picture of another one of our clients, Dean Larsen drawing the two winners.

The Bellingham Waterfront Advisory Group will meet tonight from 6 to 8pm at the Harbor Center Conference Room, located at 1801 Roeder Ave, to discuss and evaluate the different master plan site design concepts.

Public comments will be taken at the beginning of the meeting before moving on to business including electing a new chair.

The Bellingham Waterfront Advisory Group’s mandate is to maintain the Waterfront Futures Group’s vision for Bellingham’s 11 miles of waterfront.